When I Wake
by Master of Chronicles
Summary: Sequel to Of My Dreams. Cloud has found a way to be with Lightning. But this is not something he can do alone. Noctis in prologue. Please Review
1. Prologue

_AN: Hello. Sorry for the long wait, but I had to do major research for this one. It was way too long to do a oneshot, so I divided it into smaller chapters. I must caution that if you haven't read Of My Dreams, you won't understand the references. I tried to avoid spoilers, so I think it's safe to read._

_Thanks: To Hana to Akuma, im-a-tumor, drake202, Deviling, Lightning Farron, Dare or No Dare, gagboy, fusion90XXXX for all your reviews. They encouraged me to get my act together and write this. I hope you enjoy it._

_Special thanks: To author leradny who wrote Needle in the Hay. It helped me get a good idea of Lightning's character and her interaction with the other FFXIII cast. And to my sister, HuGaBlesEaL._

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**When I Wake**

**Prologue**

"Will this work?"

Cloud was leaning up against the far wall of the room, arms crossed over his chest. He didn't look his usual self, his face lined with fatigue. He couldn't even remember the last time he had slept or eaten. Things were moving far too quickly for life's usual necessities.

Standing across from him was a blue haired, young looking man dressed in dark clothes. His eyes were fixed unwaveringly in front of him, his concentration so deep he hadn't heard a thing. Cloud repeated his words.

"Noctis."

The young man looked up at his visitor. "Yes?"

"Is there any chance at all that this will work?" Cloud tried not to sound too desperate, but he could feel time slipping by quickly. There was no telling what could happen.

Noctis thought a moment, his fingers tapping on the large, wooden table he was sitting at. "I won't lie to you, Cloud. This has never been done before. The crystals aren't an exact science. You could end up being sent back where you came from, or find yourself in outer space or stuck inside solid rock. What you want to do is like jumping out of a plane without a parachute without knowing how high up you are, hoping to land on a very small pillow. Is she really worth it?"

A very faint smile touched Cloud's lips, more out of being nervous than finding the comment funny. "Well…I've gotten this far."

The young man thought a little further. He knew the final decision rested with him. Cloud had kept his end of the bargain without an assured guarantee from Noctis that he would help. The last thing Noctis wanted was innocent blood on his hands, especially that of a new-found friend. But the man's eyes, already an unnatural hue, reflected his intense desire to finish his journey.

Rising from the table, Noctis bade Cloud to follow. They headed for the very heart of Noctis' family mansion, passing portraits of relatives going back dozens of generations. Cloud could see a disturbing resemblance in all of them. It wasn't so much that they looked the same; they all seemed gloomy and dark. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of life the young man was living. Noctis lead him in deep, modern walls gave way to stone ones, and Cloud half expected to see torches line the halls. They finally arrived at a large set of doors made of dark brown oak, behind which lay a terrible power.

"I will try, with the best of my ability." Noctis said without turning around to look at Cloud. "But so help me, it may not be enough."

"I understand."

"Don't say that so easily!" Noctis almost snapped as he spun around, his voice taking on a passion Cloud hadn't realized he had. "Think about everything that has ever happened to you. Your friends, your enemies, blessings and regrets. Remember each emotion you've ever experienced, as well as the memories attached to them. Are you ready to lose all that? Because when this starts, and you pull your thoughts away out of fear of loss, you could end up as alive as those portraits of my ancestors. That large crystal you found on your world, materia was it? It might've been kind enough to send you to the right reality, but our crystals are different."

The realism of what was about to happen gradually dawned on Cloud. There had been many times he had faced a no-turning-back situation. But this one was different in every sense. Not only was there no turning back, there was probably no going forward. Could he take the risk?

"I'm ready." Was all he said.

Noctis looked at him intensely. "Very well."

He approached the doors and pushed them open, the bright, blue light of the crystal breaking through the opening.

As they stepped inside, Cloud saw a sight he had never before believed possible, his eyes wide in awe. As Noctis took his place at the side of the source of the brilliant light, Cloud shrunk away momentarily. Was this really happening?

"Place your hand here." Noctis motioned, urging Cloud to come closer, the light making his face very pale looking. "I'll do the rest."

Closing his eyes once more, the young dynast ruler went into a deep trance. Myths and legends spoke of feats such as the one he was trying to accomplish, but to the best of his knowledge, it had never been done. His mind slowly began to expand, taking in all that existed in the room, and then grew to include the mansion, then the city. Drops of sweat began to form on his brow as he tried to expand even further, up and beyond the limits of his own planet. But the awareness what too overwhelming, like an eye going blind from too much exposure to light. The pain quickly followed, and Noctis decided to end it.

"Argh!" Noctis cried as he felt something enter into the expanse he had created. It was like a shadow of the cosmos with a life of its own suddenly interfering with what he was trying to do.

Cloud's body shook with a violent spasm, jolted by a foreign power. Noctis fought to regain control, but he was greatly outmatched. A strong will broke through, turning the great power Noctis was trying to use against him, throwing the young man to the ground several feet from where he had been standing. Noctis was struggling to rise, looking at his friend. Cloud was at the center of what could've been an electric storm, bolts of thunder coming from and to his body.

"Cloud!" Noctis shouted, only to be blown back when Cloud exploded in a flash of light.

Alone, leaning against the wall for support, Noctis stared bewildered at the spot Cloud had been just a moment before. There was no trace of him left.


	2. Pulse

**Pulse**

"It's a fun game, Sazh. Not to mention it's simple so you shouldn't have a problem catching on."

Vanille smiled brightly at the pilot, who made a face at her teasing. It was a game she had tried to make everyone play that day, even Lightning. Hope had given in first, and Snow soon joined. Fang took a curious look, and then dismissed it without a second thought.

"Children's games." She huffed. "Have any a little more grown up?"

The red-brown haired girl shook her head, her pigtails whipping back and forth. "Grown up games are boring. And what's wrong with rock, paper, scissors?"

"It's for kiddies."

"Well, these guys have been stuck up in the sky all their lives. If they're to learn how to have fun down here, they have to start at the basics." Vanille turned her attention back to the others, who were enjoying themselves.

Fang made her way to the group leader, who was sitting alone some ways off in the tall grass, looking up at the large sphere in the sky that was Cocoon. Without an invite, the exotically dressed woman sat down cross-legged besides her, laying down her spear.

"Do you have any games you like to play?" She prodded, hoping to provoke a reaction. What she got was an answer.

"Serah loved hide and seek."

This made Fang lose her mischievous smile. "I was never really good at that one."

Lightning stood up, eyes never leaving the sky, her pinkish hair gently swaying in the breeze that was making its way over the wide plain. "If we're going to avoid PSICOM, you're going to have to be."

Lightning proceeded to leave, and Fang let out a frustrated breath. Was that girl ever so uptight! The only day she'd ever loosen up was the day she would die…if then.

A muffled sound came from behind her, and Fang smiled again. "What happened, Light? Did you fall?" She said, twisting around to see.

Lightning was on the ground, eyes closed, unmoving. Fang hurried over and shook her.

"Lightning. What happened? Lightning!" She looked up at the others who were still immersed into their games. "Vanille, get over here now! Something is wrong with Lightning!"

They were all at her side in a second, a brief session of confusion taking place. What had happened? What did Fang see? Was Lightning ok? Would she wake up? These questions flew through the air, all of them unanswered. Snow took control by telling everyone to keep it down as Vanille tried to revive Lightning. They watched in tense silence as the young girl tried her best. After more than an hour, Vanille sat down on the ground, her eyes red, giving the others a helpless look.

"I don't know what to do. She's not hurt, but she won't wake up." Her voice was slightly shaking, afraid for their friend.

"What can we do?" Hope asked.

Sazh felt Lightning's forehead for any signs of a fever, shaking his head when finding her skin cool to the touch. "The best thing to do is to keep her warm and wait."

"Shouldn't we keep moving?" Fang suggested. "We still got the bad guys breathing up our butts."

Snow firmly shook his head. "No. It's almost night time. However, we should find some cover and make a fire. We'll have to keep an eye on her all night, so we'll take shifts."

The large man bent over and picked up the unconscious woman with hardly any effort. But that was hardly a surprise when the man could bash in armor with his bare hands. The group walked a short ways to a grouping of white colored trees, using them as both firewood and cover from any unfriendly eyes that might pass over head. The two youngest members stayed by Lightning's side the whole time, their worry obvious. It took some convincing from Snow for them to go to sleep, promising to wake them up when Lightning came around.

_**If**__ she came around._ Though they all had the same thought, no one actually said it.

A few hours later, the night well along, Vanille woke up to check on her friend and suddenly screamed, startling everyone out of their sleep. White like a ghost, she pointed to Lightning.

"What is it?" Snow asked, trying to look in every direction at once.

"L-look at her!" She girl said, horrified. "Her stomach, it's bleeding!"

It was true. Along her stomach, just above Lightning's navel was a long yet shallow cut. A flesh wound to be sure, but bleeding well enough. Sazh and Fang quickly searched the surrounding area for anyone that could've done such a thing, Snow staying with the others. Hope helped Vanille as the girl healed the wound, looking for signs of other injuries. They found none.

They went back to sleep, but this time two stayed up at all times, one to watch for attackers, the other over Lightning personally.

It was past midnight, the moon hovering bright in the sky when Lightning woke up. Sazh was the one on watched, and was greatly relieved when he saw her slowly open her light blue eyes.

"Thank heavens!" He breathed, helping her to sit up. "Do you know what happened? How are you feeling?"

Lightning gestured to the canteen of water, her mouth too dry to speak. After several swallows, she wiped off the water dripping from her chin, then looked down at her stomach and had an odd look of disappointment of her face.

"What is it?" Sazh asked. "Does it hurt?"

"No." She replied, not looking up.

"Good. You gave us quite a scare when you started bleeding like that."

This time she looked up, eyes wide. "You mean there _was_ a gash there?"

"Y-yes." The pilot said, confused. "But you were asleep when it happened. How-?"

"Wake the others, Sazh." She said, her face reflecting something Sazh couldn't quite place. "I've got something to tell all of you."


	3. Lightning's Dream

**Lightning's Dream**

The last thing she had been aware of before the blackout was that her head had started to get incredibly dizzy. She had stumbled forward, trying to catch her footing. Then all went black.

Coming to, sounds reached her of waves breaking rhythmically; something she knew had to be impossible since they hadn't even been near a stream. How could she be hearing waves?

Cracking her eyes open, Lightning found herself laying face down on a sandy beach, the edge of the water only a few feet away. She rose up carefully, taking a good look around, her hand reaching for her Blaze Edge. It was in its holster, much to her surprise. It meant she hadn't been abducted. But if not that, why was she on a beach?

As if to answer, a larger wave rolled in, the crash of water on sand getting her attention. Lightning gave a small gasp of surprise when her eyes saw an ocean spread out before her, its water black like ink.

"You remember where you are now?" Said a voice besides her.

She spun to look at the owner of the voice, his blond hair, bright eyes and boyish grin familiar to her. His name came to her lips without doubt but a little hesitation.

"Cloud." She said, almost mournfully.

"This is where we first spoke, after we had saved each other from drowning in those black waters, you remember?"

"Yes."

He smiled, a look of deep relief on his face. "You haven't forgotten. Thank the lifestream."

Lightning took a step back from him; a cautious, calculated step. Her hand gripped the hilt of her Blaze Edge tightly, her forefinger resting lightly on the trigger. Cloud saw what she was doing and tried coming closer, his arms open in reassurance.

"It's alright, Lightning. Nothing bad is going on. Don't you remember about…" He took in a deep breath, once again a look of anxiety visible in his eyes. "Do you remember the feelings we shared? What about the day we admitted we loved each other? Rem-"

He was cut off by the bullet Lightning fired at him, hitting him in the shoulder. Cloud cried out in pain, grabbing the wound. Lightning used the time to turn and run. As she lengthened the distance between them, she could hear his shouts for her to come back, but she firmly ignored them. The beach went on and on, but she pressed on ahead at top speed. Inside, her heart was boiling over with suppressed emotions of angry, sadness, heart-break and confusion. She was starting to hate dreams.

She glanced back, seeing that she was now out of sight of the man she knew as Cloud. But her progress was stopped went her body bumped into another's. Looking forward she saw Cloud standing in front of her, his face inches from hers. In his hand was a very large and very heavy sword she knew as his Fusion Sword, one great blade that could divide into many. She quickly backed off, aiming her gun and fired again.

This time he deflected the shot, which had been aimed right between the eyes. His right shoulder was still bleeding. "We could seriously hurt ourselves if we fight, Lightning."

He had sounded so honest he actually stopped her from shooting again. But she kept it raised. "What are you?" She demanded.

"You know me." He insisted, lowering his sword. "We spent nights on end together, engaging monsters and traveled the world of our dreams. You and I spent hours talking, laughing and sharing. Have you really forgotten all of it?"

"Dreams." She repeated. "Fairytales and fantasies. You are not real. It took me months to get over you, and I'll not let my own sub-consciousness screw around with me anymore."

"I understand. But is that reason enough to shoot me?" He said, dropping his sword into the sands. He raised his hands up, a gesture asking her not to fire. She was sorely tempted. He approached carefully, each step taken gently. The closer he got the more she wanted to shoot. That thought lingered in her mind until he bent his head down and tenderly kissed her. She didn't move at all, her heart a bigger emotional stewpot than ever before. How could she bring herself to kill the only man she had ever loved more than a father or brother? Lightning was soon kissing back, letting her mind drift away. When it was over, she stared at him, her confusion plain.

"I've missed you so much, and I don't understand why." She confessed. "Dreams are normal, and it's only natural to miss a dream once you've had it. But this isn't the same. I've missed _you_ as a person, your thoughts, opinions, even that crazy hair of yours."

Cloud's smile got broader, running his hand over his head. Long, blond spikes refused to flatten, forever defying the laws of physics. The thought made Lightning chuckle, the closest to a giggle she would ever get. Putting her gun back in its place, she wrapped her arms around his middle, resting her head on his chest.

"You feel so real, Cloud. Why is that? Why do I even care whether you're around or not?"

Cloud began to stroke her hair, his voice soft yet confident. "Because I _am_ real, just like I told you during our final dream."

"You think that's enough?" She said, wanting to pull away from him and stare him in the eye, but couldn't bring herself from leaving the warmth of his arms. "We could be at this all day, and still I wouldn't believe you. How could I? I'd be crazy to accept that for even a second."

Cloud was the one to finally pull away. He looked at her grimly, his mouth a thin line, his jaw set. "There is a way I can prove it, but-"

"Yes?"

"I would need your sword." He told her.

Realizing that she so readily shot him not long ago, Lighting felt strangely confident that she could trust him. She retrieved her weapon and handed it to him. Cloud grabbed the special gunblade by the handle and switched it to its sword mode. He looked at its razor sharp tip, touching it tentatively with his finger. Satisfied, he placed the same tip on her stomach, the cold metal touching her smooth skin.

"When you wake up and see this, you will know that I'm speaking the truth." He said, carving a perfect line along her skin.

It was painful, and she had to grit her teeth so as not to cry out. When he was done, Cloud handed the sword back to her, his eyes reflecting how much he regretted having to take such action.

Before she could put it away, Lightning could feel her body changing, coming out of the sleep that had been forced upon her.

"No!" She said, reaching out for Cloud. "Not yet! I don't want to leave yet."

Cloud, though he wasn't moving, was being dragged away by some invisible force. He smiled at her, one full of comfort. He didn't say anything, but she understood by that simple gesture that she would see him again real soon.

"Trust your heart, Lightning. You will find me." And he was gone.

Her body continued its shift from asleep to awake. As the beach, the ocean and the sky began to blend and merge into one; Lightning closed her eyes and awoke.


	4. Decision

**Decision**

"How cute is he?" Vanille asked after a few moments of silence.

The question hadn't been what Lightning expected. She frowned, not sure how to answer. "W-what?"

"On a scale of one to ten, how good-looking is this boyfriend of yours?" The girl asked again, looking perfectly innocent.

Before the question could register, Sazh spoke up, his voice a little less than patient. "Are you saying you believe her?"

Vanille shrugged her shoulders. "Why not? It's possible."

"Lightning. It was a dream. You passed out, from stress or fatigue I don't know, but dreams aren't real." Snow said, trying to be as empathetic as he could. "I mean, it's-"

"Crazy." Fang cut in, not afraid to say exactly what she thought. "Seriously girl, you think men simply come to us at night in a world of fantasy and presto! love at first sight? I think a PSICOM commando hit you on the head pretty hard last time we fought them."

"Wait a minute." Hope interjected, standing at Farron's side. "What about the cut we found on Lightning last night? We never did found anyone during the search, right?"

"Doesn't mean there never was." Sazh reasoned. "What the body feels as it rests can be interpreted in dreams. Someone could've done it to her behind our backs and Lightning felt it as she slept, her mind creating a reason for the pain as she dreamed."

"Oh, come on! That's very weak." Vanille protested, shaking her head.

The debate went on between them, the younger ones more easily ready to believe, the others not so much. But Lightning wasn't interested in winning an argument. She had to find Cloud. But…where to look? He hadn't told her anything that would help. Or had he?

_Trust you heart. You will find me._

Her blue eyes scanned the horizon, the sun still low in the sky. The landscape was a garden of various plant life and animals. Some of the large ones were grazing in the distance, while the sky was alive with winged beasts. She was hoping for a sign, a clear marker that would set her on the right path. But she saw nothing.

"Trust my heart?" She said softly, low enough for herself only. Instinctively her hand reached up and touched the spot her heart was beating well and strong, the same place where she had her mark as an l'Cie.

The others were still arguing when they heard the crack of a shattering crystal. They turned and saw the mighty warrior god Odin standing proudly before the woman who summoned him, the early morning sun gleaming of his armor radiantly.

Lightning looked up at her eidolon and asked. "Which way?"

The warrior turned his head towards the northeast, in the direction of a great chain of majestic mountains. He raised double-edged sword at one in particular, one which towered high above the others. With the mountain's image firm in her mind, Lightning began to head for it, walking away briskly without so much as a word to the others, Odin close behind her.

"Whoa, whoa!" Sazh ran to catch her. "There's no way you can get there on foot, let alone on your own."

"So you believe me?" She inquired.

Sazh rubbed the back of his head. "To tell you the truth…"

"I don't have time for this." The pink-haired woman uttered, continuing once more.

"To tell you the truth," This time his words were said with more authority, getting her attention again. "If it was Vanille instead of you, yeah, I wouldn't believe it."

"Hey!" The girl yelled.

Sazh continued. "But I've known you for a while. You're not the crazy type. You've helped us through some tough times, Lightning, and I want to return the favor."

"Serah always trusted you." Snow said, stepping forward. "And if you're to become part of my family, I have to start doing the same. Besides, if this guy is like you say he is, we sure could use his help."

Hope smiled at her, nodding his head enthusiastically. "We're all with you, right Fang?"

The dark-haired woman had her arms crossed over her chest, eyeing everyone else skeptically. "You're all a bunch of empty-headed romantics and will get yourselves killed one day. Only more reason for me to come along and make sure that doesn't happen."

Vanille clapped her hands together excitedly and began running in the direction of the distant mountain range. "Let's hurry then and meet this Cloud!" She called out to the others.

"Hey!" Sazh shouted, the girl already some ways away. "This is gonna take days! Could you slow it down a little?"

Days later

The journey had been somewhat uneventful, save for the occasional encounter with hostile animals. Each night when they went to sleep, Lightning was reunited with Cloud. It was never at the same place, but locations all together different from one another, each with their own unique beauties. Cloud brought her to places she had never seen even on Pulse. The scenes were enough to captivate her, but it was whom she was with that made all the difference. It was just like before, and this time she wanted it to stay that way.

On the fifth night, Lightning had taken first watch and afterwards promptly went to sleep, her love already waiting. They spent most of it walking the beaches of their imagination, this time the waters clean and pure.

"To be able to always feel like this is a blessing." She said to him. "But I'm afraid we will lose it once we find you."

Cloud frowned at her. "Why? We'll finally be together."

"But I'm in the middle of a war. There won't be time for walks, or long hours spent simply in one another's others arms. I have to see this through to the end, Cloud. I can't be selfish now and give up."

"And I'm not asking you to." He reassured her. "If anything I want to help you and your friends. I may not have an eidolon to call my own, but I can handle myself in a fight."

"It's not that." She added, unusually hesitant. "With war come casualties, Cloud. I could finally find you, only to lose you again, without any hope of getting you back. Perhaps…perhaps you should stay where you are, and wait until we finish this."

"What?" Cloud said in disbelief. "You're telling me to stay where I am, stuck between my world and yours, knowing you'll be out risking life and limb? How could you ask that?"

"And if you die?"

"And? What if _you_ die? Or you and all your friends die? You don't know if what you're fighting for is hopeless, or if you can even win. But no matter what, I want to be at your side when it happens."

Lightning didn't want to give in so easily, though her heart was screaming at her head to shut up. "But then all of this will be for nothing. You and I would be cut off forever. I…I couldn't stand that!"

She had become passionate, her voice strong and clear, but inside a little more shaky. After all the dreams she had with Cloud, her one remaining nightmare was to be without him. Her other nightmare had been of losing her sister. Now that it had happened, to lose the next person she loved dearly was that much more of a reality.

Cloud was able to sense this, causing him to understand her feelings. Once upon a time he hadn't felt so different. He held her hand firmly in his, his gaze fixed with hers.

"We will die in time, Lightning. None of us can stop it. Yes, my days of life will end, but not until I spend the best of them with you. It doesn't matter whether we will have one day together or a hundred thousand of them, as long as we're happy. Ok?"

He had made it so terribly simple; she couldn't help but feel a little silly for being so worried. Nevertheless, she was determined not to lose a loved one. Not this time.

"I love you, Cloud." She whispered.

"So do I, Lightning." He answered, just as softly.

They spent the rest of their time together in silence; up until Lightning was awaken from her sleep. When she opened her eyes to the very real world of Pulse, Fang was standing over her, shaking her none too gently.

"We have a problem." The woman said sternly.


	5. Flight

**Flight**

"It had to be a scout ship. It couldn't have been anything else." Sazh had been on watch when an airship suddenly flew overhead with no advance warning. "By now it would have given away our location to PSICOM, and I can guarantee their not going to give us a head start."

"What can we do?" Vanille said, expressing everyone's thoughts.

Fang huffed at the girl. "Run, of course. We'll be outmatched a hundred to one, if I know them. Their motto is 'Overkill or bust'."

"We have to run." Snow decided. "They don't know where we're headed, so I think we should continue towards the mountains."

"But they're still a day away, how can we get there?" Hope ventured.

Lightning had an idea. "We'll hitch a ride."

Moments later the group was off, Sazh at the wheel of Brynhildr in gestalt mode accompanied by Snow and Hope. Lightning and Vanille we up in the air with Fang as she steered Bahamut northeast toward their destination. For safety, they decided to stay in close proximity, just in case the enemy caught up to them. Safety in numbers…especially for l'Cie.

They traveled for hours, yet the mountains seemed to closer. Lightning could now see that the one where Cloud was waiting was one of the first mountains, so they wouldn't have to waste time climbing others. At least that was some good news.

"We should reach your true love by late afternoon." Fang estimated, "That is, of course, if Sazh ever decides to get out of second gear."

"Uh…guys?" Vanille had to talk loud to be heard over the wind. "What's that behind us?"

The two other women turned to see, and Lightning immediately recognized the airship.

"A Reaper!" She said, mortified. "We can't outrun that for long. Fang, fly close to Sazh, we have to warn them!"

Bahamut tipped to the side and down they descended. Being closer to the ground made it appear they were going faster, the grassy lands blurring. Brynhildr was leaving an obvious trail on the ground, her tires digging deep into the earth. Snow saw Lightning and the others approach, tapping Sazh on the shoulder.

The pilot looked over. "What?"

"A Reaper!" Lightning called back.

"Dang!" He swore, stepping on it.

"What's a Reaper?" Snow asked.

Oddly enough, it was Fang who answered, shouting over the roar of the vehicle's engine. "A first-strike airship with twenty missiles, each capable of leveling a building, fifty PSICOM soldiers onboard with ground vehicles and motorcycles with enough firepower to fight a small war. They were originally designed to hunt and kill Cie'th."

"How fast are they?" Vanille added.

Sazh craned his neck to take a look, and then turned around again. "I'll put it this way. We'll reach that mountain in two hours. They'll reach us in half that time."

"Very well then." Snow stood up, the wind making his coat flutter like a flag, and jumped off. In mid air he summoned Stiria and Nix, the two twins quickly combining into Shiva. Snow hit the ground riding his motorcycle at full throttle. Sazh suddenly found that he could now go faster with Snow off.

The group dug in deep and increased their speed, now in a race for survival. The managed to keep their distance for a while, but sure enough the large Reaper, around the three times the size of Bahamut, gained of them. Forty minutes into the chase, it fired a missile, which exploded about one hundred and fifty yards away from Brynhildr. The shock wave jolted everyone, almost throwing Vanille off. Lightning caught her by her boot, allowing the pinkish-red haired girl to get a good grip and get back on. Everyone blew a sigh of relief.

But at the same time they knew the next one wouldn't miss.

Fang swung her eidolon back close to Sazh and Snow, calling out. "Where's Hope?"

Sazh turned his head to see where the boy was supposed to be sitting, but found it empty. "What the-?"

Snow pointed behind them. "Look!"

Hope had jumped off after the first missile had narrowly missed them. He knew that the airship would have to be stopped, or at least slowed down, for everyone to make it. He knew that meant someone had to stay behind.

By the time the others realized he had bailed they were already far away. He looked on, a sad smile on his face. He prayed he was doing the right thing. He turned around and looked at the oncoming attack ship, already almost on top of him. With any luck, it was now or never.

Retrieving his crystal, Hope called Alexander, the armored encased giant emerging from another plain of existence.

"Gestalt mode, stop that ship!" Hope commanded.

The eidolon sifted form, becoming a massive wall like the fortress's of ancient time. Hope watched as Alexander fired upon the ship, the pilot having not seen the boy until it was too late. The cannons thundered as the Reaper got pounded severely. Inside the ship the commanding pilot pulled away as far as he could, crash-landing the ship several hundred yards away. Hope believed he had destroyed it, until a mass amount of soldiers came flooding out. Fang had said a Reaper could carry fifty men. Offhand Hope saw nearly three times that many, most with heavy artillery and vehicles.

The reaper had also had air support, and small group of at least ten one manned planes that were now flying straight for him, opening fire. Hope ducked as the whole PSICOM unit shot at him, showering Alexander with bullets. The eidolon bravely shot back, but was greatly outnumbered.

"He's gonna get killed!" Lightning cried out as they turned around.

"Move, move!" Sazh urged Brynhildr, who had managed to find a little more speed somewhere, Shiva and Snow right behind.

"Hang on! This is going to get rough!" Fang warned as Bahamut tore through the air.

"Lightning!" Vanille suddenly screamed.

Fang looked behind to see what had happened, seeing Vanille look down over Bahamut's side in horror. The young girl was staring helplessly at an unconscious Lightning free-falling towards the earth.

"Not again." Fang growled.


	6. The last Dream

**The Last Dream**

Lightning knew that she had been with Fang and Vanille just a moment before, and that she had suddenly lost consciousness just like before. She found herself standing in a wide, empty space, darkness surrounding her. No paradise island, no wondrous night skies, no oceans. Only shadow.

"Cloud?" She called out. "I can't stay here, the others need my help. Hope is in trouble. Cloud! I know you can hear me!"

"Lightning!" Came a shout from the darkness.

It was Cloud's voice, but strangely high pitched and full of fear. This raised warnings in her head and Lightning reached for her Blaze Edge, only to find it was missing. Eyes widening in shock at this discovery, Lightning suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable. Loud footsteps were coming at her at a running pace. She had no clue as to who it could be, so she took a defensive stance and waited. A few seconds later, Cloud emerged, grabbing her with a strength that made her lose her breath.

"What's wrong?" She asked, worried. He was trembling and wet with cold sweat.

"You have to leave!" He said.

"I know. Hope is-"

"No, not that! You can't come for me, Lightning. I thought I was stuck and needed your help to get out. But I was wrong. It's a trap!"

Cloud suddenly tore away from her, violently pulled back into the darkness. Lightning saw in horror multiple energy tentacles wrapped around his body, tentacles she knew well.

She charged, trying to reach him, all the while yelling. "Let him go!"

An invisible force knocked her backwards. She fell hard, but fought again to her feet, ready to go again. But she didn't have to. A giant face materialized from the darkness, a mask of metal and rust. A body soon followed, large and mechanical. It stood at least thirty feet high, looking down at her through one bright, yellow eye. A dozen orange glowing tentacles were attached to its back, twitching in the air, forever searching. Three of them held Cloud, the young man looking like a toy compared to the giant. It glared at Lightning menacingly, the air around it crackling with energy. Lightning Farron was standing face to face with a fal'Cie.

"L'Cie." It said without its mouth moving, the voice deep and very old. "You will come to me or he will die."

To make good on its threat, the energy tentacles gave Cloud a huge electric shock, causing him to scream and his body to spasm. Lightning called out to him, but he couldn't hear, the pain drowning out all other senses.

"Don't listen!" Cloud cried through gritted teeth. "I'm not worth it-AARRGGHHH!!"

Lightning could only watch as the mechanical god jolted Cloud again and again, her body unwilling to obey her commands.

The fal'Cie spoke once more. "I await you arrival."

Cloud tried to tell her one last time to leave, but Lightning was already waking up, her decision made.

* * *

"You can't keep doing this." Fang stated as she caught Lightning from her fall.

Looking around, Lightning saw that the situation had gotten worse. Vanille was already in the fray, riding Hecatoncheir as it fired from its many barrels. Snow and Sazh were surrounded by PSICOM's elite, but were holding their own. There was no sign of Hope.

"I need to go." She told Fang as they flew above the battle, Bahamut unleashing his destructive breath on any airborne foes unlucky enough to be in range.

"What? But they need our help. We're-"

"He's being held by a fal'Cie." Lightning explained, shooting at a plane that was trying to get them from behind. "It wants me to come."

Fang stared at her, her eyes giving away her thoughts. After so much time, she knew how badly Lightning wanted to make the fal'Cie pay for everything they had done.

"In that case." She grinned. "Leave this mess to us. Go, we'll meet up later."

Lightning pulled out her crystal and summoned Odin as she leapt from Bahamut. By the time she hit the ground, she was riding Sleipnir, Odin's double-edged swords in her hands. Lightning carved a way through the enemy as the large war horse galloped for the mountains at full speed. Some of the PSICOM vehicles gave chase. Good, she thought, less for the others to fight.

Sleipnir was as fast if not faster than any all-terrain military car, and kept well ahead of them. Soon they were being shot at, and she knew they couldn't last forever. Lightning saw that three vehicles were following, determined to catch them. She hurled her swords at the nearest one, cutting it cleanly in half. She needed Blaze Edge for the second, blowing out its tires. The last one had a cannon she didn't see and it fired. The next thing Lightning knew, she was blown clean off as her eidolon vanishing for whence it came because of the explosion, tumbling in the grass.

She rose up, weapon ready, as the vehicle slowed to a halt. Three men stepped out, one of whom she recognized.

"Yaag." She said venomously.

"L'Cie." He said automatically, even though he knew her from the military. "There's nowhere to run now."

She didn't have time to fight. Cloud was in the grips of a merciless fal'Cie that had promised to kill him if she didn't hurry. But she didn't have Odin anymore, and was too weary to summon him again. She had to think of something else.

Yaag drew out his gun, leveling it at her with no hesitation. "I will give you the chance for a quick death. If you refuse-"

She opened fire in a heartbeat, hitting one of Yaag's men before he could finish his sentence. They fired back at her, but not before she had managed to close most of the distance between them. To buy her more time, Lightning threw her Blaze edge at them, forcing them to drop to the ground as it sliced the air over them, giving them an idea what it could've done to their heads. Lightning reached Yaag before he could get up and landed her heel against the side of his head. She continued moving and with one fluid motion knocked the rifle from the other soldier's hands with a well place kick, then slammed her fist in his windpipe, taking him out of action.

But she didn't finish them off. She made a run at the vehicle they had used to pursue her, now the only thing that could get her to Cloud on time, picking her weapon back up on the way. Yaag shot at her as she got in, but soon stopped wasting ammo as she drove off. He took a moment to watch her go, anger in his face. A few moments later a soldier riding a motor cycle pulled up, the man riding still very young.

"Sir!" He said, stammering."We…we can't continue to engage the enemy! They're too strong and…"

"Get a grip, soldier!" Yaag snapped. The commander took a moment to think, weighing his options. When he spoke, it was with a calm and disciplined voice. "We'll take this as a learning experience."

"Sir?"

Yaag proceeded to walk away, hands behind his back. "Order a fall back. The next time we meet them, they won't be so lucky."


	7. Cavern of the Forgotten fal'Cie

**Cavern of the forgotten fal'Cie**

By the time Lightning arrived at her destination, the sun was already dipping over the horizon. In a matter of minutes it would be dark. The all-terrain did its job well, adapting to the rocky terrain well. Lightning steered it as high as she could go. But it was getting hard to focus. When Yaag had shot at her he didn't miss every shot. One grazed her left thigh; the other hit her in her lower back. The bleeding wasn't heavy, but she knew that she had lost enough to make her too weak to face the fal'Cie now. As the day sky slowly melted to twilight, tears started to form in her eyes.

She knew she couldn't save Cloud anymore, just like when she couldn't save Serah.

"Oh, my sweet, sweet sister. Will you ever forgive me?" Lightning sobbed.

Images of the final moments with her sister came to her mind. She had tried to do what she thought was right, but still failed to protect the one she loved. And it was starting all over again. Cloud had literally traveled worlds to find her, and she couldn't even travel across the planet to meet him. She had always tried to be strong so that no matter what, she would be able to handle anything. She was wrong.

A dark shape loomed ahead, a large opening in the mountain side. Braking to a halt, Lightning made out an entrance to a cave in the fading light. This had to be it. This is where she had been trying to get to for days now, where Cloud…and the fal'Cie, were waiting.

Getting out of the vehicle, Lightning turned her head and looked back to where she had come. She had left her friends behind, alone to fight PSICOM. A guilty feeling rose up in her. She was being selfish, choosing one life over that of many. But she could not lose another one…not again. It would be too much.

She only had two forty-shot clips left, one already half used up. Having already searched the vehicle, she found nothing that would help her save a small elixir, which was at best a strong energy drink. It wasn't like being healed by Vanille, but it was all Lightning had. With her head high, and Blaze Edge read, Lightning Farron entered the cavern, ready for whatever might come.

What she hadn't expected was to find Cloud waiting for her. He was leaning against the rocky wall of the cave, staring off into space.

"Cloud!" She cried, rushing to him.

His head jerked in her direction, eye widening as he saw her. "No, don't come any closer!"

She reached out for him, wanting to feel his warmth and strength. But when she did reach him, she passed right through like he was made of air. She was so surprised she lost her footing and fell on the hard cavern floor, adding yet more bruises on her. She stayed there for a moment, too stunned to move or react. Cloud knelt down by her side, face full of pity.

"I'm not really here, Lightning. He's using my image to draw you in, to make you come to him. You have to turn back now, because no matter what, he's going to kill me. I don't want you to die in a hopeless effort to save me. Please, Lightning, go and never come back." He tried to reach her, praying that her incredibly stubborn head would let his words in.

Lightning used her arms to push herself up, still staring forward into the deepest part of the cave. "So you want me to give up, right? Accept what's happening and learn to live with it? Turn tail and run?"

"I want you to stay alive!"

"You want me to grovel!" She yelled back. "That's what they've wanted us to do for generations, and I've had enough! I don't care what their game is; I will crush them into the ground for everything they're done to us!"

She was now running away from Cloud, blindly charging deep into the long rocky tunnels of the mountain. She felt her blood pumping strong in her veins, her eyes sharpened into focus, her body tingling with strength which comes with rage. She was ready to fight.

"Where are you, fal'Cie?" She challenged.

"You shall face me soon enough." Replied the strong voice of the mechanical creature, coming from everywhere at once.

She ran on, deeper and deeper, her eyes soon adjusted to the dimness, now able to see that the cavern expanded into a large, open space with droplets of water falling from above. Lightning saw what appeared to be ruins of some kind, remnants of a castle of temple, only a few crumbling walls standing up. She was getting close. Lightning could make out broken pottery on the ground, rotting wood and shattered statues. The further she went the more she saw. Soon a faint, blue light became visible, barely illuminating her surroundings. She followed it, making many twists and turns throughout the ruins, the light getting brighter and brighter. A humming noise could now be heard, like an old electric generator that had been neglected for years.

Lightning stopped. One last corner left, and she would finally be face to face with what she hated so much. Blaze Edge was held tightly in her hands, her breathing became regular again after all that running, and her mind relaxed enough to focus. It was time.

She turned the corner, giving out a small gasp at what she saw.

In her dream the fal'Cie that attacked Cloud had been a giant in pristine metallic armor, glowing brightly with power from the crystal safely kept within it. What lay crumpled on the ground in front of her was the same being, expect with centuries of rust and decay. Its mouth hung open, a gaping hole in its grim covered face. Only one eye shone yellow, but very weakly. Most of its former beauty was lost, taken away by time. If it had been a creature of flesh and blood, Lightning might've felt pity for it. But as a fal'Cie, she believed that it was finally revealing its true face.

The large metal head swerved toward her, making a loud creaking noise of rust on rust. When it began to talk, the mouth didn't move. "Witness my former glory." It said, glancing at the ruins. "Thousands of ages ago I was revered as a god, this pile of rumble once my glorious temple."

"I really couldn't care less." Lightning remarked.

"My people did all they could to serve me, and I treated them well in return for their worship. I became the greatest of all my kind, my domain reaching the farthest corners of Pulse." It went on, Lightning's words going unheard. "They grew envious, afraid that I wielded so much power. One day they descended upon me as brothers, and then ravaged me like animals. I was left here, weakened, my temple reduced to dust, my worshipers scattered. I, fal'Cie Prime, was lost to the flow of never-ending time."

Lightning remained silent. If this story was true, then the fal'Cie could be a lot more dangerous than she had previously believed. If threatened, would they all gather to destroy their common enemy? One was powerful enough, but to fight several…

"Do you want revenge on the others?" She asked. Her legs were getting heavy like lead, and she had to use an old stone wall to keep herself up.

Prime gazed at her, his face an emotionless mask. But his voice had a dangerous edge to it. "My rage with blaze like the scorching sun. They will know me once more throughout the entire world."

"What does that have to do with me or Cloud?" She demanded, taking a determined step forward, staring it in the eye. "I want nothing to do with you, so why does your kind insist on going out of their way to get us to do what they want? What, are you not powerful enough to do things yourself?"

The corroded body of the fal'Cie, which was half eaten away do that only his torso and up remained, shook as Prime raised his voice so loud Lightning thought the mountain would fall and bury her.

"Silence! I am Prime, and all will tremble before me. You! You bear the mark, making you l'Cie. You have been granted power, which you will now give to me."

It dawned on Lightning that he was talking about her ability to summon Odin, which she had acquired only after having been branded. Prime had been under the mountain helpless for centuries, until he found his chance to lure an l'Cie which had the power he needed to return and reign once more over Pulse.

Lightning backed away from the fal'Cie. No matter how vulnerable he looked, she did not dare underestimate him. "I will never let you bring more harm to us that your kind already has."

"Has it come to this, then? My brothers and sisters have failed to keep the primitives of this world in order and have let them grown stubborn and disobedient? I will take whatever I please from you, whether it must be from breaking your body…or his."

Prime's chest immediately opened, exposing the cavern to a power light. Inside rested the crystal which was the fal'Cie, glittering in all its brilliance. No, not quite. Prime was weak, so the radiance was dull compare to other crystal Lightning had seen before. She could easily make out its form and shape. Roughly as tall as a man and as wide. A closer look made Lightning give a start. Cloud was inside the crystal!

"Like an insect trapped in amber." Prime taunted. "He foolishly used a crystal from another world and tried to get to Pulse, but I intercepted him. I learned everything I needed to know by searching his mind. He truly has feelings for you, by what you call them. He has been a fitting tool to my reassertion of power."

"Let him go!" She yelled, Blaze Edge in sword mode, charging the fal'Cie.

Something moved at her feet, like a snake, rising up and striking her in the stomach before she could react. Lightning was knocked off her feet, the air in her lungs gone. The object moved again, this time coming from above. Rolling to her left, Lightning avoided the hit and sprang to her feet, fighting to breath. Gun mode activated, she fired at Prime, aiming for soft spots in his rust covered body. But whatever had struck her before came around again, landing a solid blow to her side.

Ribs cracked, she could tell. The pain made everything whirl around her, and she couldn't keep her balance. But she didn't fall. Lightning was being hoisted up in the air, something wrapped around her middle. It was a tentacle, the same as in her dream, but this one wasn't glowing orange like the others had. It brought her close it the fal'Cie's emotionless face, the glowing eye boring into her. Another tentacle rose up, hovering between them. This one was glowing orange, and had a very sharp end. It moved as though alive, it's tip hovering over the mark on her chest. She knew one stroke would be enough to take her power and end her life.

The tentacle pulled back like a serpent and snapped forward. Lightning closed her eyes, but nothing came.

"No" Prime said, not any louder than taking a breath. "It can't be."

A loud cracking suddenly sounded, causing the Fal'Cie to shriek in pain. Lightning was dropped to the ground, quickly moving out of the away as Prime thrashed what was left of his neglected body around. It took a second, but she made out the blade of a large sword sticking out of Prime's chest, where the crystal resided. The blade disappeared back in, only to come out again. Lightning understood at once.

It was Cloud!

Prime began attacking his own body, his two tentacles stabbing into his chest, trying to kill the man who was destroying him from within. Lightning acted quickly, severing one of them clean off. Prime was fighting a battle on two fronts, and was losing. The last tentacles swiped at lightning with enough force to shatter rock. She dodged most of the strikes, countering some now and then. Prime had only one good arm left, and was trying to fit his hand inside the hole Cloud was making. Leaping over the attacking tentacle, Lightning landed on the arm, her sword slicing through the large wires that gave it power. However, her weapon buckled under the strain of the impact. Prime howled in anger, the light around his body going from a light blue to a deep red.

"I will not die here!" He yelled. "Yet if I do, I will bring half of pulse with me!"

The humming sound grew louder until it was all encompassing. Lightning pressed her hands to her ears, feeling like the inside of her head was bursting apart. Prime was charging up his final attack, one he said would kill countless lives. She had to stop him.

She leapt for his head her bent sword about to make contact with the mechanical neck. Blaze Edge missed by inches as Prime leaned out of harm's way. Lightning landed on the other side, spun around and went at him again. The last tentacle met her in mid stride, catching her in the gut. Lightning managed to hold on to it this time, switching her weapon to gun mode and shot Prime at his last good eye. But the damaged Blaze Edge was off by several inches, and Lightning had to fire several times, bullets bouncing off Prime's face with shower of sparks, before she found her mark. The fal'Cie was left blind, trashing around like a beast in the dark, trapped and cornered. He continued to glow red, the color now almost black. Prime realized he would soon cease to exist, but wanted to satisfaction of crushing a human body in his grip one last time.

"The crystal, Cloud. Destroy it!" Lightning Farron cried.

Prime's tentacle reached out for her faster than she could blink, wrapping around her like a coiling snake. Lightning felt her ribs crack like twigs under the pressure, unable to take in a breath of air.

"Come on…" She said weakly, seeing an evil grin on Prime's face. "Curse you…I…can't…do this by…myself."

As she slipped away, Lightning heard a tremendous shattering sound, like a thousand glass windows all exploding at once, and then felt Prime's grip on her loosen, letting her fall.

* * *

Cloud found her lying amongst rocks and pieces of metal after he crawled out of Prime's lifeless body. His heart raced at seeing her. Was she alive? He knelt down and, putting his hand just above her mouth, feeling warm air as she exhaled. But it was weak, very weak. After opening up Prime like a can of beans, Cloud had stumbled around in the dark for several minutes, the light from the crystal gone as it broke into countless shards. He had called for her many times, fearing the worst. Now here she was, the girl he had met in his dreams, almost dead in his arms.

"I'll bring you back to the others, Lightning. They'll look after you." He said, trying to comfort himself more than her.

He picked her up as gently as he could and began to make his way out of the underground ruins that had once been a prominent temple for the now dead fal'Cie. Cloud didn't look back at the giant, ancient body now completely shredded by his hands and Lightning's. Their greatest victory, but the price was dear. Cloud's sword had broken in half, and Lightning was seriously injured.

"Cloud?" Lightning murmured, coughing.

"Lightning! I'm…I'm here." He said, tears in his eyes.

"I can't see." She said, fear in her voice.

"We're still in the cave. I'm going to get you out of here. You'll be okay soon."

"Where are you?"

"Right here. You're in my arms, Lightning. You're safe." Cloud tried to smile, finding it almost as hard as fighting Prime. "I promise you I will see you through this."

"I can't…feel anything below my…waist." She coughed again, and Cloud saw blood.

He was staring at her, a deep terror growing inside. He was going to lose her. He had to keep her from falling asleep, or she would never wake up. "Lightning. Tell me the names of your friends."

"What?"

He continued moving up, trying to make every step he took faster than the last. But he was tired too, and soon the load in his arms began to take its toll. "What are your friends' names? Tell me what you think of them."

"S-Sazh. Good guy, but always second guesses me." Lightning replied, still coughing. "Hope and…Vanille. Snow, my sister's to be husband. And Fang…oh, Cloud. I don't think I can hang on."

At his end, Cloud had no choice but to lay her down, the cold rocks pressing uncomfortable into her back. He looked down at her, his face full of sweat and dirt. His mako eyes held her attention, a small smile spreading on her face.

"I never thought…I'd see what you looked like…for real…"

"Disappointed?" He teased, laughing softly before his face got serious again. "Lightning. Remember when I said I didn't care how much time we had, as long as we were together?"

"…Yes."

"I lied." He spoke quickly. "I want to spend years and years with you. Do you hear me? I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go." She said, her voice getting weaker. "But I have to. I'm sorry, Cloud."

"What? No. No, Lightning! You're staying here, with me. We haven't gone through this just to be separated so easily. Lightning! Don't give in!"

But she was listening anymore. Something had caught her attention. Someone was standing behind Cloud, the silhouette familiar to her. The person leaned over, a bright smile and their face. Tears streamed from Lightning's eyes when she saw who it was.

"Serah." She whispered, crying.

"Sister." The girl replied. "You're safe now. Everything will be alright."

"I'm so sorry." Lightning was unaware of Cloud, who was calling for her, his face etched with dread of her slipping away.

"We'll be together soon." Serah reached down, closing Lightning's eyes. "Rest. We'll be together soon."


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"How do you feel?" Vanille asked, looking down at her.

Lightning gave a groan as she tried to move. "In pain."

"That's normal. Most people feel that way after breaking six ribs and getting the life choked out of them by the fal'Cie. You're lucky we helped in time." The young girl felt Lightning's face, checking her temperature. "You were in shock. Your boyfriend brought you after he found us. He was almost too late."

The last thing Lightning remembered was being in dark a cave, in Cloud's arms. But now she was in a bed, in a bedroom somewhere with daylight outside. Vanille was with her, as was a sleeping Sazh on a chair in the corner. Lightning felt tight bandages around her middle as well as some more on her arms and legs where she had received cuts and bruises. It hurt, but it meant she was alive.

"Cloud! Where is he?" She sprang out of bed, only to have her head spin.

"Whoa! Easy. Back into bed for you, little miss adventure. He's with Snow right now. He's been at your side for four days now. We convinced him to get some air for a few hours. You'll see him soon." Despite her young appearance, Vanille could get quite motherly when she wanted.

Lightning offered little resistance, lying back down. "Hope? Is he alright?"

"Oh yeah! The bump on his head is all healed."

"So he was hurt." Lightning said, recalling how the boy had tried taking on a fully manned Reaper on his own.

"Oh no, he didn't get a scratch from that. I knocked him on the head with my fishing pole after we rescued him. It was either that or let Sazh shoot him." The girl explained with amusement in her eyes. "I'll get the others. They'll be so happy to see you're better."

The slumbering pilot woke up as Vanille ran by him, his eyes red with fatigue. He yawned, blinked a few times, looking around the room in confusion, not sure of where he was. Finally his gaze rested on her.

"Ah, good to see you up and running." He smiled sleepily.

"I thought I was a goner. I…I saw Serah near the end. I thought she had come for me." Lightning cast her eyes down, looking at the bed sheets that covered her. "I almost wish she had."

"You don't mean that." Sazh waved his hand dismissively. "Remember that your sister ain't dead, and that we're doin' all this to get our loved ones back. No giving up, Lightning, no matter what."

She thought about that a moment, giving a determined nod. "Hm. I never will."

"Lightning!" Hope cried as he walked into the room, his face lighting up, Fang close behind.

"I'm beginning to wonder if anything can kill you." The tall woman remarked.

Lightning could only smile in response. She made it! And best of all, now Cloud was back into her life. A discussion followed about him. Sazh wanted to know where he had gotten his ridiculously large sword, Fang remarked on his fitness, Hope said how he wanted the same hair style, and Vanille…for some odd reason didn't say a word. Lightning answered as best as she could, but was too distracted to pay close attention. Just talking about him made her feel warm and safe inside. It had been a long time since she had felt that way.

"Vanille?" Farron asked as the others continued to talk.

"Yes?"

"I want to see him."

The young girl smiled brightly. "Alright. Wait here."

Soon everyone was gone, ushered out from Vanille. Lightning spent the time waiting wondering what she was going to say. Hi? What's up? How you doin'? Laughing at herself, she found that she wasn't the least bit nervous. Why should she be? She's spent a lot of time with him, in her dreams. She didn't know how or why they met. Was it planned for them? Or was it an accident? She was sure she would never find out, but what did it matter? They had met; they became friends, fell in love, and fought to be together. Everything had ended _right_.

For the first time since Serah became an l'Cie, Lightning was regaining control of her life.

He walked in, hesitant like a nervous school boy. His bright eyes filled with joy at seeing her up, days of worry melting away. Cloud hurried to her side, his arms around her in a strong, caring hug. Letting out a sigh, she hugged back, ignoring any pain she was feeling. For the first time, she really was with Cloud.

Lightning forced herself to her feet. She didn't want this moment to happen as she lay on her back. She wanted to stand in front of him, looking up into his face, her arms laced around the back of his neck, as she held her closer than anyone had ever before. The dipping sun shone through the window, giving the room a life of its own. Closing her eyes, Lightning brought her lips to his. Deep in her heart she knew that at that precise moment, everything was perfect.

Everyone else poured in, unannounced. The couple pulled away, each of them turning slightly red. Whereas the others smiled at them, Fang laughed full out.

"Farron has found herself a man!" She teased. "Don't drop him, Lightning. You won't get him back."

Feeling heat rising to her cheeks, Lightning tried to give the woman as dirty a look as she could. "Touch him and die."

"Then you'll be needing this back." Sazh handed Lightning her Blaze Edge, completely repaired and in pristine condition. "But could you wait until after we're free?"

Lightning nodded. "Alright."

Cloud spoke up, talking to all of them together for the first time. "I hear the whole world is out to get you guys. Would you like some help?"

"Seriously?" Snow asked, his large arms folded across his chest. "We would be happy to have you, but this isn't your war."

Cloud looked at Lightning, a determination in his eyes she knew well. "You are my friends now. I will never leave."

* * *

Five days later.

The Cie'th roared viciously, teeth slimy with drool, claws wet with blood from fresh victims. Lightning was running at it, sword mode on, leading the charge. Fang was already high in the air, her spear like a crimson bolt. Hope and Vanille were summoning their eidolons, while Sazh fired at it from a distance. Snow was on her left, the rune on the back of his jacket glowing brightly, letting out a battle cry as he gave the beast a terrific punch. Cloud was at her side, the new buster sword in his hands, ready to fight.

Lightning smiled, comforted at the thought that she was with friends and family. And that they would always be with her...

**...TO THE END**

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* * *

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_AN: Thank you for the wait. If enough people like this one, I want to finish the story with a third fanfic, but it will have to wait until after I play FFXIII. Meanwhile I have several plans for a FangxVincent story. I'll like the idea of those two together._

_Please review!_


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